Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Meet Nichole, illustrator of Galactic Hot Dogs!

Cool illustration of Nichole by Rachel,the other GHD illustrator!

Hey you guys! Today I’m interviewing Nichole Kelley. She’s one of the illustrators of my books, and she’s super awesome. She’s even designed video games! How cool is that?! Let’s see what Nicole’s all about…

ME: So, Nichole. Why did you want to be an illustrator, and is that what you always wanted to be when you grew up?

NICHOLE: When I was a kid I wanted to be a Disney animator. I loved cartoons and I wanted to be part of that magic. But luckily, as I grew up, I learned that I didn’t have to work for Disney to be part of animation and cartoon magic. I am now happy making all kinds of whimsical art suited for kids. So, I guess I wanted to grow up to be a big kid, instead of a little kid! Oh, and I wanted to be an astronaut, too. Doesn't every kid want to be an astronaut? I was very jealous of space camp.

ME: Space really is the coolest. You should visit sometime!

NICHOLE: I will definitely look into that.

ME: So you never became an animator?

NICHOLE: Well, I realized that I didn’t want to do only animation. Have you ever tried it? It has an amazing payoff, but it takes a LOT of time and effort to get there. But I did use my animation expertise when I worked in the gaming industry.

ME: You designed video games?! Awesome!

NICHOLE: Yeah, it is awesome! I really liked it because there was just enough animation to have fun, but not so much to get bored. It's like an amazing blend of illustration and animation, And you get to play with your art in the end!

ME: So cool. Okay, back to space stuff. If you had your own spaceship, what would you name it and what cool features would it have?

One of Nichole's favorite illustrationsthat she did - poor F.R.E.D.!

NICHOLE: Oh, Cosmoe, I am terrible at naming things. I would quickly turn to my trusty space sidekicks for help! As for cool features… I like that feature of the U.S.S. Enterprise where the ship cleans itself — and replicators! Imagine having any food you want with no preparation? Seems too good to be true.

ME: Yeah, I stick with human-food toppings, too. Some of the stuff Humphree and the Princess eat on their dogs make me want to hurl! Okay, last question for today: What’s your best advice for a Galactic Hots Dogs fan — you know, an Earth kid like me?

NICHOLE: Don't grow up, and be true to yourself — don’t let other kids tell you what you can and can't do. (But don't hurt yourself or do anything dangerous, of course!)

Good stuff, Nichole! Thanks!

Be sure to come back on Thursday for part two of the interview. You’ll find out what Nichole’s favorite movies are, all about her pet who passes way too much gas, and more!